It's the Things We Love Most that Destroy Us
by WizMonCruWil
Summary: So, this is an alternate imagining of the Third Quarter Quell, in which the tributes are selected at the pleasure of President Snow. What if Katniss and Peeta had to had to mentor these tributes…and who would they be? Read to find out!
1. Chapter 1: The Quell Announcement

**Chapter 1: The Quell Announcement**

It was the night of the announcement of the 3rd Quarter Quell. The Everdeens were hosting Katniss' fellow District 12 victors, Peeta Mellark and Haymitch Abernathy, over at their home. After dinner, the program started on television. After a brief spiel recapping the themes of the first two Quarter Quells, President Snow read that year's theme from the card:

"On the seventy-fifth anniversary, as a reminder that the Capitol has absolute control over the districts' lives, the tributes will be handpicked by the President of Panem. Age eligibility is irrelevant."

The program ended. The Victors of District 12 sat in stunned silence.

"Well, that means no reaping, then," Peeta mused.

"Yeah, but how lame is that?" Haymitch slurred, already buzzed. "That was part of the rules for the one fifty years ago."

Katniss barely heard any of this. "You guys don't get it, do you?" she cried, almost close to hysterics. "Snow can send into the arena whoever he wants! And after the stunt Peeta and I pulled in the arena last year, who do you think he'll pick?" She looked at Prim and immediately collapsed into tears, pulling her little sister in for a hug. Peeta laid a hand gently on her shoulder.

"You don't know that he'll do that, Katniss, just to punish you."

"Then you're a fool, boy," Haymitch growled. "Snow can do and get whatever he wants, especially when he's ticked off. How do you know he won't punish you just as much as Katniss? One of your brothers could easily be the male tribute."

"That's not fair!" Peeta protested. "Leven's too old to be reaped, and Rye…."

"Were you not listening, boy? Snow said, Age eligibility is irrelevant. He can literally pick whoever he wants: old, young, it doesn't matter! Katniss may have been the one to pull out the berries, but you were ready to go right along with it. Who's to say he won't punish you both?"

Katniss suddenly stiffened. "He could pick someone else, too, though. Besides Rye or Leven." The victors looked at each other, the same name in their brains.


	2. Chapter 2: The Reaping

**Chapter 2: The Reaping**

The day of the reaping dawned hot and sultry. Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch were made to sit in front of the entire district and wait for their tributes to be picked at the pleasure of the President.

"I don't think I can do this," Katniss had whispered to her friends as they were escorted to the district square.

"Get used to it, sweetheart," Haymitch grumbled. "You'll be doing this for the rest of your life."

Effie Trinket appeared to announce who Snow had selected. Instead of drawing from the Reaping Balls that were now absent, she pulled out an index card, presumably with the tributes' names on it.

"The male and female tributes from District 12: Gale Hawthorne and Primrose Everdeen."

 _I knew it,_ Peeta thought, but he quickly pulled Katniss into his shirtfront before she let out a wail of despair. He kept her there, allowing her to come undone, unseen, as they, Haymitch, Effie, Prim and Gale were escorted to the train. Her baby sister and best friend were going into the arena.


	3. Chapter 3: Mentor, Train & Interview

**Chapter 3: Mentoring, Training and Interviewing**

The District 12 group sat silently at the table for a long time. Katniss had long since cried herself out and was now staring mutely at her plate, her food untouched. Finally, Gale spoke.

"OK, so how do we win, Catnip?" he asked. Katniss snapped her head up, a little taken aback.

"Here's how: stay alive," Haymitch warbled, already wasted. Peeta glowered at him.

"Haymitch, not now!" Although Peeta was a little pissed off that Gale had not asked either of them for advice, he knew Haymitch's smartass comments would not endear Gale into asking them for any. Meanwhile, Katniss was tripping over her words as she tried to respond, so Peeta saved her.

"Baby steps, Gale. The first thing you and Prim have to do is make a good impression when we reach the Capitol. You both have to make people like you; that will help you get sponsors. I think both of you can manage that very easily, but you will have different strategies to go about this." His own words even surprised him. He had no doubt Prim would be likable in the Capitol, but Gale… Peeta thought that he should be feeling less amicable to his rival, even if he and Katniss were engaged per the Capitol's orders. Yet, it dawned on him that his own response was genuine. Maybe he wasn't sure whether he personally liked Gale or not, but he knew enough from Katniss to know that the Seam boy was likable. He continued.

"Prim, you remember the little girl Katniss helped in the arena? Rue?" Prim nodded. "I want you to play that angle. Cutesy, sweet. In fact, you have an advantage because Panem already knows about you, at least a little bit. Show them the most endearing sides of you, and I bet at least a couple people will sponsor you."

Peeta turned back to Gale. "Gale, I want you to be aloof. Mysterious. Carry yourself so that you radiate power. Now that I think of it, Panem knows a little bit about you too, being Katniss' favorite cousin. Play that up, as well." Nobody alluded to how the cousin front was a lie, so as to remove Gale as a potential threat to Katniss and Peeta's relationship. Surprisingly, Gale seemed very receptive to Peeta's advice.

"Next order of business: skills that can help you in training. What can each of you do?" Peeta deferred to Prim.

"I can heal people," Prim piped up.

"A fat lot of good that will do you, girl," Haymitch sloshed. "You're in that arena to kill people, not kiss away their boo-boos."

"Haymitch, shut up!" Katniss snapped. Peeta knew that she would never let anyone criticize her sister. He decided to move on before there was an argument. The spats between Katniss and Haymitch were known to be legendary.

"What can you do, Gale?"

"I work in the mines. I know how to operate explosives, wield a pickaxe. And I can hunt just as well as Katniss."

"Way to go, boy!" Haymitch said, raising his glass towards Gale in a toast with a sincere smile on his face. Peeta ignored this and continued.

"Unfortunately, the explosives stuff won't help you much. The only explosives in the arena are the ones underneath the tribute pedestals, and after the trick the boy from 3 and the Careers used last year, I bet access to those has been shut down. If there were bombs and things, District 12 would have a lot more victors. But I digress. There's bound to be at least one pickaxe in the Cornucopia, as well as a bow and arrows."

Throughout all of this, Peeta didn't notice Katniss regarding him and Haymitch angrily. That is, until she stood up and said shortly, "Boys, can I speak with you please? Alone?"

Peeta blinked, before acquiescing and helping Haymitch to his feet. The three victors stepped just outside the train car.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she snarled at them.

"Helping our tributes stay alive, what do you think?" Peeta retorted, trying not to show any anger in his voice.

"No, you're helping Gale to stay alive. What about my sister?" she asked jerkily. Before Peeta could deny the accusation, Haymitch lay a hand on his shoulder.

"She has to hear this, Peeta: Katniss, Prim can't win. She has no skills that can help her in there, as far as I can tell, and tributes who play the cutsey angle almost never win. Besides, no one under the age of 14 has ever won the Games before."

"So, that's it?" Katniss snarled. "You're leaving my sister for dead and placing your hopes in Gale to win?!"

"Sweetheart, wake up! Before your bait-and-switch last time, I spent 23 years having to pick one tribute to get out of there alive - and look at where that got me! It's part of what you do as a mentor, your job. Hell, I chose between you and Peeta last year before the rules changed, and guess who I chose? You!"

This seemed to take Katniss aback and she looked to Peeta immediately. Pity was now in her eyes, and tears swam there. "Oh, Peeta…"

Peeta just shook his head. "It's no secret, Katniss. Haymitch never had to tell me, even after the Games - I knew before we went in, probably because it was my mission too. To keep you alive." He sighed. "Haymitch and I aren't saying we care about Prim. We do - especially me. What is dear to you is dear to me." Katniss gave a small smile, obviously touched by his words. "But they won't let two go out of the arena alive again; there can only be one. We have to make the choice that brings the most odds into our favor; all the districts do." He reached out a hand to her. "Until the arena comes, at least, we promise to help Gale and Prim equally. Even after they go in, we'll help both of them as much as we can until one or both…." He couldn't finish. Katniss touched his cheek.

"Thank you, Peeta," she said softly. "I'm sorry I got angry."

And the three victors went back to join their tributes.

* * *

As soon as the District 12 entourage arrived in the Capitol, they were surrounded by reporters. Katniss and Peeta were annoyed by the coverage, but glad to actually take away some of the focus from Prim and Gale, to spare them.

The tributes were sent to their stylists, who employed the fire motif used by Katniss and Peeta in the last Games. Watching the Tribute Parade from stands reserved for the victors, Katniss and Peeta noticed that other districts had also tried to ape this technique. President Snow gave his speech, and Katniss shuddered when she thought she saw him stare right at Prim and Gale.

As soon as the tributes were whisked into the Training Center, Haymitch introduced his protégés to some of the other victors. All were very helpful and eager to show Katniss and Peeta the ropes of mentoring during the Games.

Training for Prim and Gale went better than expected. Gale's knowledge about hunting and some weaponry had attracted the attention of the Career tributes… though for an alliance, not as an enemy. Haymitch encouraged Gale to get in with them.

"Peeta got in with them last year; proved his worth for a time."

"Yeah, and look what happened. In the end, they all died and nearly took me with them," Peeta shook his head. "These Careers must either be barking mad, or they didn't watch the Games at all last year."

"In all seriousness, though, Gale, don't burn bridges with these guys. They may prove of some use to you and allying with them could make it easier for you to kill them later on. They'll trust you; won't be expecting it," Katniss advised.

Gale just nodded. "I'll play it, and see where it takes me." Something about the look in his eye told the victors that he was not sure what path he would take. And they knew why: his loyalty to Prim just might outweigh any inroads he could make with the Careers.

Prim, meanwhile, had memorized all of the plant information, just like her sister, and had even managed to become skilled with a few small weapons. Knives, axes and some small swords.

After their private sessions with the Gamemakers, Ceasar Flickerman presented the training scores on television. Prim pulled a six, which Katniss was lukewarm about ("They could have at least given her a seven or eight…") but Haymitch and Peeta thought that a score right in the middle would attract less attention her way. Gale, meanwhile, pulled a ten, putting him right up there with the most skilled Careers. The men were thrilled ("They'll either definitely want to ally with you now, or kill you outright. Either way, you make it past the Bloodbath, you'll get sponsors for sure," Haymitch crowed).

* * *

The night before the Quell began, the interviews with Ceasar were held. Prim went second to last. Ceasar was pleased to finally meet the little sister of the famous Girl on Fire.

"Now, Prim, we all know that your sister has to partially thank you for her fame. Do you think that you can garner just as much attention for yourself on your own?"

"I hope so. But, even then, I don't think I could compete with Katniss. She's the best big sister ever. I love her so much - more than my own life!" The audience awwwed.

"If you die in the arena, what will you miss about your family the most?"

"That I won't get to see Katniss' wedding. But I know Peeta will take care of her, and Haymitch will too."

"Well, let's hope you win then, so that you can be at that family event. Primrose Everdeen, everybody!"

Then, it was Gale's turn. Ceasar and the audience seemed intrigued by him, especially now after his excellent training score.

"This seems to be very much a family affair! A cousin and a sister of a victor both in the Games! Now, Gale, how did you get that training score?"

Gale remained tight-lipped, yet coy as well. "That's between me, my cousins, my cousin-in-law-to-be and the old drunk sitting right there." He pointed to Haymitch in the front row, while the audience roared with laughter. Haymitch didn't seem to mind.

"Your cousin Prim is in the arena with you. Family ties are strong. Will you protect her?"

Gale frowned. "We'll see what happens. I love my cousin, but in the arena, anything goes." There. That aloofness would keep the Capitol - and the Careers - on their toes.

"Well, we wish you the best of luck. Gale Hawthorne, ladies and gentlemen!"

* * *

Late that night, Katniss stood on the Training Center roof. Peeta soon joined her in his bathrobe. Opening his arms, Katniss walked right into them. Laying her head on his chest, she began to weep.

"Will I lose them both tomorrow, Peeta?" she sobbed. "How will we ever get one of them out of there alive?"

"I don't know. But somehow we've got to keep them alive for however long we can." Peeta vowed. He cupped his face in her hands and kissed her once, very gently. "I promise you, either Prim or Gale will win this thing." And he rocked her in his arms until she fell fast asleep against him, before carrying her back to his bed.


	4. Chapter 4: Into the Arena

**Chapter 4: Into the Arena**

A few hours before 10:00 AM the next day, the District 12 victors said goodbye to their tributes. Katniss didn't seem to want to let either of them go, especially Prim. The trio then went down to the Victor Viewing Center - a bar like area that also had monitors which would broadcast the Games 24/7. There were also controls for the victors to send sponsor gifts or view maps of the arena. Haymitch, Peeta and Katniss took seats with the District 4 and 11 victors - among them Chaff Mitchell and Finnick Odair.

As the clock struck ten, images of the arena appeared on the screens. Katniss' heart almost stopped. The Cornucopia was on an island in the middle of a miniature sea. Spokes of jagged rock stuck out, forming a sort of wheel; these created watery wedges that housed two tributes each. Katniss frantically looked for her sister, and finally found her, on a pedestal facing directly across from the open mouth of the Cornucopia. _She can't swim_ , Katniss thought despairingly. _Gale can, but she can't_. Remembering her pretend cousin, she spied him on a pedestal right next to Prim's, separated only by a rocky spoke. _Oh, thank God. He'll get her_. Or would he? He had never made clear whose side he would be on in the arena.

Meanwhile, in the arena, the gong sounded. Many tributes jumped into the waves, but Prim remained frozen, terrified. Instead of diving into the water, Gale bravely leapt from his pedestal to the rocky spoke next to Prim. The tribute to the other side of Prim - Gale recognized him as the boy from 6 - had leapt into the water and was trying to pull Prim in with him.

"Gale! Gale, help me!" she cried. The boy from 6 grabbed at her again and she screamed, before stomping on his hand. "Let go!" she yelled. He did.

"Prim! Jump!" Gale called and she obeyed, leaping into his arms. He pushed her towards the Cornucopia, where some tributes were beginning to converge. "Come on, we have to get a backpack!" They raced along their spoke, but feet from the island, their path was blocked by the boy from 2. He smirked.

"Leave her behind, Twelve. Team up with us if you wanna live. She's not worth the effort."

Gale flung Prim behind him. "Not on your life," he growled. The Career charged him with a spear. Gale dodged and bear-grabbed the boy so ferociously, he was too surprised to fight back until it was too late. Gale snapped his neck, and a cannon sounded. BOOM. Prim had managed to dance around the tussle and grab a bow and arrows, a pickaxe, some knives and a backpack from the edges of the Cornucopia. Other tributes were so busy fighting in little battles, no one bothered with her.

"Come on, kids, get outta there," Haymitch prompted. Prim ran back to Gale, who now held the spear of the dead boy, and they ran away from the Bloodbath and into the jungle.

Katniss let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Tears stung her eyes also. Gale had been forced to choose between her sister and the Careers, and he had gone with Prim. Katniss didn't think she could ever repay him. Peeta, however, was grousing.

"They could have at least tried to get allies. That Career might have been of some use to them, even."

"Boy, you are an idiot. You know alliances are almost always set in stone before the Games begin. Besides, you really think a Career is going to abandon all that prestige to team up with District 12? No way! Besides, they made off like bandits even without any allies: a good haul and a damn fine kill to boot!"

Katniss tuned out Peeta's and Haymitch's bickering when a sponsor approached with some money. Katniss told the sponsor to put the assets on hold until they could determine if their tributes needed anything.

* * *

Back in the arena, Gale and Prim were trekking through the jungle and the Bloodbath was just ending. Bodies lay everywhere: on the island, on the spokes (like the Career that Prim and Gale had felled), even in the water. The cannons started, alerting Prim and Gale's attention as they stopped to rest and search the backpack they had gotten. 14 BOOMS went off before stopping. That meant ten left to play.

Watching on the monitors, Katniss saw her family go through the pack. There was a pack of darts, and some small strips of food: odds and ends of bacon and toast. But….

"No water," she breathed. She wasn't surprised. The humid climate had probably been designed so as to withhold water and make the tributes die that much faster. She turned back to the sponsor. "They need water. That'll be all for now."

The sponsor nodded, and placed an order of canteens for 500 Panemts. Katniss sent down the parachute. Haymitch and Peeta were not that pleased with her investment.

"Water bottles for 500 Panemts? You'll have to learn how to work the room, sweetheart," Haymitch growled. Katniss scowled back.

"Later. We're lucky right now; the other tributes might not be getting anything nearly as essential."

Back in the arena, Gale and Prim retrieved the parachute; the little girl had to climb a tree where it had gotten stuck. Katniss thanked herself for teaching Prim how to climb trees…then immediately kicked herself for not thinking to teach her how to swim.

Gale and Prim sent up a thank you to their mentors. The hours ticked uneventfully by until night fell. Then the faces appeared in the sky:

The boy from 2. (That meant the other three Careers had survived). The boy from 3. Both from 4. The girl from 5. Both from 6. The girl from 7. Both from 8. The boy from 9. Both from 10. The girl from 11. That was it.

Katniss and Peeta watched the main monitor that contained mug shots of all the tributes. The fourteen dead were deleted and the other ten were enlarged and rearranged. Across the other monitors, the cameras were tracking the remaining tributes, which by now had split into four distinct groups: the Career pack, Gale and Prim, the District 11 male off on his own… and the other four all from different districts in an alliance. The boys from 5 and 7 and the girls from 3 and 9. Katniss and Peeta could overhear what they were saying.

"They think if they band together, they can take on the Careers," Peeta reported to Haymitch. The drunk just shrugged.

"They're fucking nuts. 3 and 9 have never produced many victors, and District 5 tributes are generally on the weaker side brawn-wise. Boy from 7 has the only real chance in hell. But… all the power to them."

"Maybe we should tell Prim and Gale to team up with them," Peeta suggested.

"No," Katniss said quickly. "Alliances never grow to be that large, and those four would quickly overpower both Prim and Gale by sheer numbers. They need to stay as far away from any confrontations until they are ready, preferably after the pool has thinned some."

Haymitch stuck his thumb toward Katniss and nodded to Peeta. "I take back what I said earlier about her. Watch and learn, Lover Boy." Peeta stuck out his tongue at his old mentor, which made Katniss laugh.

* * *

As the night progressed, Gale and Prim took shelter underneath the trees with their large roots. At around midnight, a bell toll rang, leaving the victors confused. Then, still later, Katniss saw what looked like fog swirling towards Gale and Prim. As soon as it passed over Gale, he howled in pain and woke up. Katniss jumped straight out of her seat.

"GALE! PRIM! RUN! THE FOG IS POISONED!"

As if they could hear her, Gale picked up Prim in his arms and ran blindly through the jungle. They finally outran the cursed Gamemaker trap and burst back onto the beach. Gale set Prim down and the pair hid just within the treeline, watching the Cornucopia in the distance. Prim fell back to sleep as Gale kept watch.

Back in the Capitol, Haymitch sighed and stood up. "I say we go to bed. They're pretty safe for now."

Katniss didn't agree, but Peeta and Haymitch insisted. The Star-Crossed Lovers went back to Peeta's room to rest while Haymitch volunteered to pull an all-nighter and watch the Games for them. "I'll holler if anything happens," he promised. Katniss fell asleep with Peeta holding her.


	5. Chapter 5: Come from Behind

**Chapter 5: Come from Behind**

The second day in the arena dawned. Prim and Gale were awoken by the crashing of a wave and screams. Over the treeline in the distance, they could see a tidal wave bursting along, its watery remnants lapping up safely on the shore at their feet. Soon after, two cannons fired.

Back in the Victor Viewing Center, the mentors groaned. Exactly twenty-four hours in the arena, and already the Games were down to the Final Eight. Chaff took a long swig from his bottle of liquor.

"Someone's gotta tell the Gamemakers to slow it down. Too many tributes are dying too fast."

It would seem that this message did reach the Gamemakers, at least by way of an equally disappointed Capitol citizenry, for no other particularly eventful battles happened the rest of the day. Prim and Gale stayed on the beach, gathering coconuts and berries and lying low in case the Careers were still on the island. They conserved the water Katniss had sent as best they could, but it was clear they could not make it last forever. Peeta suggested sending them more, even though he thought it a poor investment, but Haymitch had a better idea. He snagged a sponsor and after some negotiating, sent down a parachute containing a metallic, cylindrical object.

"What's that?" Katniss asked curiously. Haymitch grinned.

"Just watch, sweetheart."

Gale and Prim received the parachute, hoping that the Careers had not noticed it floating down. They found the object, and after some studying, Prim figured out it was a spile that could tap water from the trees. Katniss was very proud of her.

That night, the faces of the District 11 male and the District 1 female Career appeared in the sky.

* * *

When Day 3 came, it became clear early on that the tributes were exhausted and not in the mood to go hunting and killing. Given that two-thirds of the arena had been wiped out already, the Gamemakers allowed this, but still set off the arena's circular, clockwise traps all the same. The three groups - the Career pair, Prim and Gale, and the Quartet Tribute Alliance - stayed well away from each other, on the island, the beach and in the jungle, respectively. The lull in the fighting gave the mentors a chance to relax as well. They still kept up on their tributes vital signs, however, seeing if they needed to send in sponsor gifts. The Quartet Tribute Alliance had not been nearly as lucky as the District 12 tributes in finding fresh water, so the mentors from 3, 5, 7 and 9 were working together to provide what they could. The last two Careers, meanwhile, had no shortage of supplies after taking control of the Cornucopia. As for water, they appeared to have developed a technique of gathering the salt water around them and boiling it with fire to freshen the precious liquid.

Haymitch nodded over to Gloss, Chasmere, Brutus and Enobaria; the Career mentors. "Their tributes are smart, boiling the water already there."

"I'd call them somewhat stupid," Peeta argued. "What if they try boiling at night, and their fire attracts other tributes?"

"At such a formidable position, Peeta, they can do whatever they like. None of the others would dare attack the Cornucopia right now, day or night, fire or no fire," Haymitch countered. Peeta nodded. Katniss suddenly straightened.

"I just remembered. We're at the Final Eight; Ceasar must be conducting the interviews. Do you think he'll want to interview me?"

"I doubt it, Katniss. He knows you're busy right now. I bet Gale's family and your mother will be called on to do it," Peeta reasoned.

He was right. After evening came and no faces appeared in the sky, Ceasar broadcast the Final Eight interviews live. Gale's family expressed how tough he was and that he could win. Mrs. Everdeen just hoped for a miracle to have her other daughter leave the arena alive.

When the program ended, most of the mentors went to sleep. Peeta laid Katniss in his bed and volunteered to keep watch that night. "It's my shift anyway," he explained when Katniss tried to protest. The trio had been going in rotation for this task. All night, the Boy With the Bread alternated between watching his lover sleep and the TV that broadcast his tributes.


	6. Chapter 6: The Victor

**Chapter 6: The Victor**

The fourth day arrived with a morning fog, which dissipated by the time the tidal wave at 10 o'clock hit. Gale and Prim roused themselves and determined that they should start foraging for food; they were running low. Cautiously slipping back into the jungle, the pair split up to cover more ground.

This would turn out to be a huge miscalculation, for who should Gale run into, but the Quartet Tribute Alliance. They drew their weapons. The boy from 5 sneered.

"You abandon your district partner, Twelve?"

"No, we were just searching for food separately," Gale answered honestly, though he held his pickaxe and spear at the ready. The boy from 5 shrugged.

"No matter. You won't be needing food for much longer." He charged the Seam boy. Gale swung wide with his pickaxe, slashing the boy across the stomach. 5 gave a surprised "oh" as he dropped to the ground. The girl from 9 was right behind him, flinging a mace in Gale's direction. Gale ducked before rushing the girl and plunging the spear tip into her heart. She was dead before she hit the jungle leaves.

BOOM. BOOM. Gale whipped around to prepare to fight more, only to have the girl from 3 knock him off his feet. Pickaxe and spear flew out of Gale's hand and away.

District 3 forced Gale into a kneeling position and then motioned for the boy from 7 to stand behind the prisoner. The boy from 7 drew a broadsword; they were going to execute him!

"NO!" Katniss cried from the Victor Viewing Center. Peeta held onto her while Haymitch sadly passed a drink their way.

"Get ready," the old man said. Meanwhile, the girl from 3 sneered.

"After you, it's your little district partner."

Suddenly, a knife literally popped out of her body. Three's eyes bulged and she looked down as blood spat from her mouth. Seven looked dumbfounded.

"What the…."

Gale seized his chance. He twisted the sword that had been against his throat out of the boy's hands, flipped Seven to the ground and chopped off his head without a second thought. Two more cannons sounded… and Prim stepped out from behind the upright, but now dead body of the girl from 3. Giving it a little nudge, the corpse fell flat on its face. And just like that, Districts 3, 5, 7 and 9 were out of the Seventy Fifth Hunger Games. Gale and Prim embraced, and the victors and sponsors cheered.

"Way to go, Prim!" Haymitch hollered, surprised and very impressed. Katniss squealed and Peeta gave her a big hug. He smiled over her shoulder to the old drunk. "She must have heard the cannons after Gale's kills and came running!" Just then, Johanna Mason sauntered over; she was not pleased.

"You three bozos owe us all drinks. That was my best tribute! Nuts and Volts' too. Do you have a grudge against us or something?"

Haymitch just raised his glass to her, a smug little grin on his face. "Payback, Mason. You killed one of my tributes at this stage in your own Games."

Johanna scowled and plopped down in the seat next to him. "Fair enough. But I still want a glass of vodka and you're footing the bill, Abernathy." Her mood didn't improve when an inundation of sponsors surrounded the District 12 victors, all of them wanting to sponsor Gale. Though she was pleased that they were getting all of these offers, Katniss was a little annoyed. Hadn't Prim killed someone too? And if she hadn't, Gale would likely be dead.

The faces of the Quartet Tribute Alliance appeared in the sky that night. Gale and Prim took refuge in a tree like they had their first night in the arena, only this time it was closer to the edge of the jungle. They did not want to make the same error that had nearly gotten them killed by the poisonous fog.

* * *

The next morning - the fifth day - the last four tributes were awoken by the voice of Claudius Templesmith:

"Attention tributes, attention: at high noon today, there will be a feast at the Cornucopia. We plan to be… generous hosts."

Gale and Prim looked at each other.

"We should make an appearance to at least try and make off with some supplies," Gale suggested. Prim nodded in agreement.

Back in the Victor Viewing Center, Peeta had to restrain Haymitch to keep the drunk from throwing a bottle at the monitors.

"What the hell are they thinking?! The Careers will kill them for sure!"

"Haymitch, calm down! They took out an entire alliance by themselves yesterday and have already killed a Career. As long as they stick together, I think they can hold their own." Katniss admonished. Inside, she prayed, _I hope_.

Gale and Prim returned to the beach. Gale told her to stay put within the trees while he ventured out onto one of the rocky spokes. The male from 1 could be seen foraging for supplies by the horn's mouth; he had not yet seen Gale.

It was now taking the combined efforts of Katniss and Peeta to pin Haymitch to the bar table and keep him from ripping out the monitors in frustration.

"Damn you, Hawthorne! Hide will you still can, you imbecile!"

But it was too late. The District 1 Career spotted Gale. Grinning ferociously, he whipped out a pair of samurai swords and charged Katniss' pretend cousin. Gale waited, not moving. Now, Peeta was becoming more perplexed and panicked.

"What is he doing?!"

They didn't have to wait long to find out. When the Career male was mere feet from Gale, the latter whipped out his bow and arrow faster than lightning. The Career didn't even have time to react before an arrow hit him square in the forehead. He toppled over, and the cannon sounded.

Sponsors and mentors roared in approval, before new screams split the air. The female from 2 attacked Gale from behind. She pinned him to the ground with little resistance, before taking out a knife and chopping off his good hand. Gale cried out in pain. The girl from 2 grinned evilly.

"Pity I have to kill you. You're not a bad-looking tribute yourself. Maybe I'll have a little fun with you first."

"DON'T YOU DARE, YOU WHORE!" Katniss screeched, knowing exactly what the sadistic tribute was implying. But she could do nothing as the girl pulled off Gale's pants, then disrobed herself from the waist down. Now, Gale fought tooth and nail, but the girl was much stronger. Having resigned himself to his fate, Gale managed to gasp out, "Prim….run….."

"She won't last long, once I'm through with you, Twelve. I'm amazed that Everdeen bitch's pathetic excuse for a sister is even still alive."

Now, it was Haymitch's turn - along with some help from Chaff and Finnick - to hold back Katniss and Peeta as they thrashed towards the screens in rage: Katniss for hearing her sister called "pathetic", and Peeta for hearing Katniss called a "bitch." None of them seemed to notice one of the monitors, as it showed Prim slipping out of the trees, down the beach and into the water. Even though she couldn't swim, the little girl used enough of her wits to tread water quietly over to the spoke where Two and Gale were struggling. It was only until Brutus called out was anyone else in the bar alerted to what was happening.

"Shit! Courtney, turn around, turn around! Come on!"

All the victors now watched with baited breath as Prim reached out a hand from the water and groped until she found one of the discarded samurai swords. Courtney, who was too busy still trying to rape Gale, didn't notice a thing.

Until it was too late.

Standing on a rock that stuck just below the water, Prim leapt onto the spoke and plunged the samurai sword into the girl's stomach. Courtney coughed up blood before choking on more of it. Prim hissed in the girl's ear angrily:

"I've got news for you, slut: your rendezvous's been canceled."

"HELL YEAH!" Peeta whooped, pumping the air with his fist. Prim cast the dying girl's body aside in disgust, and the cannon fired soon after. The little girl rushed to Gale's side and took his remaining hand.

"I'll kill myself right now, if you want. The doctors can get you a new hand."

"Don't even think about it," Gale growled as he began to convulse from too much blood loss. "Katniss needs you, and so does your mother, you understand me?" Prim nodded, holding back tears.

"Prim….tell Peeta….to take care of Katniss….on his honor….Take care of her…." Gale finally had life leave him. Katniss began to weep, Peeta and Haymitch holding her and trying to comfort her in vain. Prim also sobbed, even as the final cannon sounded, and Claudius Templesmith pronounced her the victor of the Seventy Fifth Hunger Games.

* * *

Once Prim was rescued from the arena, her fellow District 12 victors were aloud to see her. Mrs. Everdeen was flown in especially from 12 too see her second-born. She embraced both Katniss and Prim before gazing at them proudly but sadly.

"Oh, my girls!"

Prim did her final interview with Ceasar Flickerman, and President Snow placed the Victor's Crown on her head. He did not seem particularly pleased that she won (Katniss surmised that he had probably wanted both District 12 tributes dead to break her completely), but the President said nothing. Then, the party returned home to District 12.


	7. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

25 years later, the victors of District 12 gathered to hear President Snow perform the Reading of the Card for the 4th Quarter Quell. He announced:

"On the one-hundreth anniversary, as a reminder that even the strongest cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, the tributes shall be reaped from their existing pool of victors."

The four victors looked at each other. Katniss started hyperventilating, and Haymitch just looked numb. Prim began to cry; nothing her husband Rory Hawthrone could do would console her. Peeta had the same trouble comforting Katniss, his hysterical wife.

* * *

The next morning, the Mellarks greeted Haymitch, Mrs. Everdeen and their Mellark and Hawthorne relatives into their home. A family meeting was to take place to decide who should go back into the arena, since the District 12 victors were at even male and female numbers. Once Peeta, Katniss, Haymitch, Prim, Mrs. Everdeen, Rory, Rye, Leven and Peeta's parents - Steffan and Paula - had all taken seats, and the young kids had been sent off to play in the backyard, the Boy with the Bread called everyone to order.

"OK. We have to decide who is going to go back in. Everyone can each nominate whoever they want freely; none of us Victors will take offense. We'll go around the table one by one."

Paula was allowed to speak first.

"The drunk and Prim, of course!" she said, pointing to Haymitch. Katniss scowled at her mother-in-law. The Mellark matriarch was a witch of a woman who had never liked Katniss, even after she and Peeta had gotten married. Still, something had to be said for Paula not immediately throwing Katniss under the bus, yet for Katniss that meant condemning her sister to death.

"I didn't know you thought so much of me, Paula," the Girl on Fire spat. "I would think you would have wanted me to go back in."

"I would," Paula shot back flatly. "If you weren't married to my youngest son and the mother of my grandchildren."

"Oh, so is that all I am to you? A baby factory?!"

"Mom, shut up!" Peeta snapped furiously. "Katniss, sweetheart, cool it, we're getting off topic…"

"No, the old lady's actually sounding intelligent for once," Haymitch piped up. Paula glowered at him, but he just smirked and gave her The Finger. Haymitch was considered family by the Mellark/Everdeen/Hawthorne clan, but that didn't mean he had to like everybody. This was certainly true of Peeta's mother.

"Haymitch!" Peeta protested.

"No, boy! My mind is made up: I'm going back in. I'm old; I've lived my life. I cheated myself into 50 more years of living - and except for you two, Prim, and Eric and Clementine, I didn't get much out of even that!" (Eric and Clementine were Katniss and Peeta's children).

"How do you know I won't volunteer for you when the time comes?"

"I'll kill you myself before that happens, Peeta Mellark!" Katniss vowed, grabbing his arm fiercely. "I won't lose you, and neither will our children!"

"She's right, Peeta," Haymitch nodded. "Eric and Clementine can do without a grandfather. They can't do without a father or a mother."

"I agree," Leven offered. Everyone looked to him, but he refused to meet anyone's eye. "I…. nominate Prim and Haymitch."

Rory looked like he wanted to hit him. "Prim's a mother, too!"

"Of an adopted child! That doesn't count!" Rye blurted out, before clapping a hand on his mouth in mortification. Rory stood in a rage, now rounding on Rye instead. Katniss now screamed at her brother-in-law.

"How dare you! I'll volunteer before I ever let Teresa grow up without her mom - adopted or not!" Steffan placed a hand on his middle son's shoulder.

"Well, I am not about to lose my son, or my daughter," he vowed firmly. "Rory, _sit down_." After a tense moment, the youngest Hawthorne obeyed. Everyone looked to Steffan as he now held court at the head of the table. He sighed heavily.

"Look, none of this is going to be easy for anybody. We're all going to lose someone in this family, whether we want to or not. And I am certain none of us want to. But…if we have to think about who is the most likely to win, and which scenario will….cause us the least pain, I think…. Prim and Haymitch should go back in, and Katniss and Peeta will do everything they can to bring Prim back home alive."

Peeta and Katniss' eyes filled with tears. They each glanced at Haymitch and Prim, respectively. Haymitch looked serene and waved Peeta's pity away, even as he tried to fight coming apart.

"Don't cry for me: either of you. Just…tell Eric and Clementine….and Teresa….how much I love them."

Prim took Katniss' hand. "I think Steffan made a fair point, Katniss. Haymitch and I will go in and I'll try to win. And even if I don't, just….help Rory take care of Teresa."

Katniss nodded in agreeement, even if she didn't want to. The meeting was then adjourned.

* * *

Katniss and Peeta were called on Reaping Day. Both Haymitch and Prim bravely volunteered to take their places. Prim ultimately won the 100th Hunger Games, becoming the only victor to win two Quells, though it was a close call. Haymitch died honorably, protecting Prim and actually making it just into the Last Six before sacrificing himself to the District 1 female Career to save Katniss' sister.

Prim returned home to the Capitol with the old man's body, and the whole family held a hero's funeral for him.

11 years later, an ultimately successful rebellion would rise up to take down the Capitol and destroy the Hunger Games forever.


End file.
